Hellfire
by Ava Chanel
Summary: Beast Boy doesn't ever disobey direct orders. Beast Boy doesn't ever disobey Robin's good judgement. Except for that one time the green changeling decided to follow a certain empath to the fiery pits of a demonic hell, that is. BBRae slow burn. Established RobStar.
1. Lesson of Changing

**A/N:** _Should I really be starting up something new when I have GB to worry about? The answer is yes. This won't be long, and unlike GB, I have all the details hammered out. Anyways, this story won the popular vote, so have at it._

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 **Hellfire**

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 _1\. Lesson of Changing_

There were a lot of very curious kids on the airplane. They stared at him, unabashed, until one of their guardians stepped in to reprimand the behaviour. Even then, they'd sneak wide eyed looks whenever the elders were too distracted to notice. It wasn't like he minded. How could he blame them? He'd spent a good portion of his own childhood, and some of his adolescence, staring at his own reflection, trying to come to terms with the green skinned boy looking back. Besides, after a couple of years in isolation, far away from civilization, he was starting to feel nostalgic now that he was back in the company of people.

So, instead of being annoyed with their intrusive stares, Beast Boy winked playfully at the kids, mostly because he was not able to morph on the plane as easily as he would have liked. He'd have turned into a fluffy green puppy or kitten if it were possible, because that always worked well with the youngest crowd. Sometimes, he'd even change into a chimp and have a silly fit to crack a laugh from small children that were otherwise frightened of his unusual appearance.

Once the stewardess had politely asked for an autograph dedicated to her niece, she'd also shyly reminded him that policies and procedures in place required him to stay in human form, as well as in his seat for the duration of the takeoff and landing. Unless, of course, there was an emergency. In that event, he would be given free will to do whatever was needed to save as many people as he could. Beast Boy had replied with a warm, earnest smile, graciously accepting her terms with a nod of understanding despite her obvious discomfort in having to relay to him the mandatory protocols. It was all perfectly fine with him, much to her relief; he'd spent a large chunk of his time recently as anything _but_ human, so he was grateful for the minor reprieve he was granted now that he was back amongst humankind. Most animals in the wild did not take too kindly to anything remotely resembling man.

After she'd walked away to attend to the other passengers, Garfield buckled himself into his seat, and briefly acknowledged the gentleman next to him.

"I don't like flying," the terrified man, who would be in his company for the duration of the long flight, had nervously confessed to him.

He appeared to be middle-aged, wearing a simple gold band around his left index finger while seemingly fidgeting in his seat at every turn. His skin looked pale and clammy, and he could not keep his hands still despite his best efforts.

Once he'd gotten Beast Boy's attention, he forced a smile. "But I have to admit; it makes me feel a little bit less anxious knowing you're on board," he added in a breathy whisper as he'd leaned in towards the concerned changeling.

Although his blue eyes still darted about frantically, he spared Beast Boy an easy expression to reinforce the notion that he would be fine, and not to fret over his phobia. It was just a case of the jitters, and it would only pass.

"Glad I can be of some help," Garfield replied sincerely, unsure of what more he could do to aid him any further.

Even in the company of strangers, Beast Boy felt right at home. It had been so long since he'd held any sort of conversation with an actual person, and as much as he hated to admit it, he was somewhat of a social butterfly; he genuinely enjoyed people. Despite all of their flaws and faults, he _loved_ them, and that was why he was finally going _home_. He was at long last returning to his real place of belonging, to the family that he'd left behind.

Sure, he was nervous, scared even. He didn't know what to expect. So much time had passed since he'd packed up and left, and by now, surely things had changed. They always did.

He thought about them all; about Robin, Starfire, Raven, Cyborg. What had time done to them? Had it been kind? Had it been cruel? Would he be walking back into a broken home? How much would he have to fix? How many bridges had he burned by his impromptu decision? When he'd just about left, Robin and Starfire had finally confessed to their true feelings, Raven had opened up to her fellow teammates and friends, Terra had both moved on and forgotten about them, and Cyborg had felt like he was permanently losing a limb when he'd discovered that his favourite Titan was departing his company for an unforeseeable amount of time. Not to mention, Titans East had finally come together as a fully functional team, and were making quick progress as a force to be reckoned with.

All in all, it was on good terms that he'd decided to leave, despite the few, minor tiffs he'd had with Robin every now and again.

Not wanting to linger on those thoughts for more than he had to, Beast Boy figured he'd distract himself from his own nagging worries by engaging the man he'd be seated next to for the remainder of the flight, in casual conversation.

He learned that his name was Dylan, that he'd been forced to fly overseas for work, and that he'd been happily married for nine years now to a beautiful woman named Sylvia. They had two gorgeous children that he gladly showed off pictures of from his phone, and ever since he'd had his firstborn, he'd developed a terrifying fear of flying. Garfield could soon deduce that Dylan was simply scared of leaving behind his family. He couldn't bare the thought of never getting to see them one last time, or telling them that he loved them, before falling to his untimely death in what he would deem a terrifying, bloody explosion.

In exchange for tidbits on Dylan's somewhat more _normal_ life, Beast Boy gladly offered to answer all of his questions, sparing nothing, not even the most awkward, personal ones.

No, it didn't hurt when he morphed. Yes, he was green _everywhere_. Yes, those were certainly fangs. Yes, that was his natural hair colour now, but he used to be blonde when he'd been purely human. No, he didn't have the greatest luck on the dating scene, despite being part of a superhero team. No, he never got to personally work with Batman or the Justice League, although they'd come close a few times. No, he didn't have any plans to rejoin the Doom Patrol anytime soon, although he did make sure to visit every now and again, especially on holidays.

All of those had been easy responses for Beast Boy; nothing he wasn't already used to. It was what came next that effectively left him tongue tied and uncertain.

"What were you doing all the way in the Congo?" Dylan queried once they'd both grown perfectly comfortable in one another's company.

Beast Boy visibly stiffened, somewhat taken aback by the question despite it's logical appearance. He wasn't entirely sure how to answer his new friend, even though it was an entirely harmless topic of conversation.

"Revisiting old roots, I guess you can say," he explained meekly, shrugging his shoulders.

Cyborg always did say that Garfield loved to talk; it was when he was short in his answers that it became obvious he was hiding something.

Dylan seemed to pick up on the shift in Beast Boy's mood almost as easily as Raven might have, were she in the plane with them. "I'm sorry if that was intrusive," he apologized, nervously picking at the buttons on his twill jacket, "I had just assumed it might have been for some sort of super hero work. My kids love the Titans; they'll be excited to hear these stories when I get back."

Beast Boy shook his head, soft tendrils of wavy, green hair turning almost wisp-like about his face. "It's totally fine," he explained kindly, "I grew up there, and its sort of where all _this_ happened." He indicated himself, gesturing at his own green, lanky but lean form. It was the best he could do without delving too deeply into painful memories.

Dylan nodded. "Right, right. That one deadly virus, was it?"

Beast Boy postulated, "Well, the virus didn't necessarily turn me green on its own. My parents' serum, derived from the genetics of the Green Monkey, did that. It also gave me my powers." He grinned toothily, taking some pride in all he'd accomplished; "An unprecedented side effect, as I'm sure you can imagine."

Dylan gave him a sympathetic look then. "I can only guess what must have gone through your mother and father's minds having to see their child endure something so frightening like that," he commented grimly, obviously thinking of his own offspring being in a similar scenario.

Beast Boy merely shrugged off the implications of his airplane buddy's statement, because it was far easier than lingering on his own guilt. "In the end, I guess it paid off," he lied through his teeth.

It may not have been the most moral answer, but at least it was the more painless one.

"Yeah, I suppose it did," Dylan replied, turning in his seat, and readjusting his rimless glasses over the bridge of his nose.

From there on, it was smooth sailing the rest of the way. Occasionally, the turbulence would give Dylan pause, and a shadow of fear would creep over his humble features, but even that would disappear once Beast Boy talked about how awful the airplane's vegetarian options were. It became increasingly obvious that his small talk helped to alleviate some of the older man's worst worries.

Eventually, Beast Boy had even managed to engage some of the kids around them in story time once they'd grown bold enough to approach the currently decommissioned hero. He told them of their fearless leader, who was only human but had accomplished way more than any hero could dare to dream of. He told them of a beautiful alien princess who could lift the heaviest trucks over her head without any effort at all. He told them of a fearless man and machine hybrid that he considered his best friend. He even spoke of an all-powerful empath who had stopped an impending apocalypse primarily on her own.

They were fascinated with him and all the other Titans. Even some of the adults had tuned in to his tales of bravery, good versus evil, and fighting against all odds. Everyone wanted to know more about the heroes of Jump City and their many adventures.

Watching the way their faces lit up in wonder as their imaginations ran wild with visions of his teammates, tugged at Garfield's heart strings. It made him miss them even more, like a sore spot in his very soul, buried within the marrow of his bones, which ached at the mere mention of the second family that had raised him. He was filled with a mix of both apprehension and anxiety, scared and excited to finally be reuniting with them again.

By the time the plane had landed safely, he'd received a round of applause from his audience, and a few of the kids ran up to give him a quick hug, and maybe touch the tips of his pointy ears in the process. He'd wiggle them and make the children giggle before they ran off to join their parents as they all happily departed the stationary vehicle. He could still hear them retelling his stories to the adults with a newfound fervor, as if they hadn't been there to hear him tell it themselves. Beast Boy chuckled lightly to himself as he sidled out of the way for his companion to stand up and grab his bags.

Dylan shook Beast Boy's hand firmly before deciding to just pull him into a fierce embrace instead. "Thank you for everything," he whispered into his ear. "The best of luck to you and your team."

"Just doing my job, sir." Garfield saluted him jokingly, and then they both went their separate ways.

Years away from the very thing he'd spent his entire life doing had refreshed his perspective on his work. Feeling satisfied and ready for any of the oncoming battles that awaited him, Beast Boy gathered his meager carry-on bag from the storage unit above his seat, and made his way down the aisle towards the exit, where the flight attendants remained. He'd been courteous enough to allow everyone else to leave before him, so he was very well the last person to get off. He bid the three ladies farewell and adjusted the canvas bag's single strap over his shoulder, not truly knowing what to expect in the waiting area of the airport.

The place was bustling with activity, and for a moment, Beast Boy thought he was lost. He never did like airports. They were huge, super confusing, and always crowded. He may also have had an irrational fear of boarding the wrong plane, or missing his flight. Not to mention, he'd spent so much time among the simplicity of nature that the many scents and noises were like a sensory overload for his unaccustomed instincts. It was giving him a headache, and he just wanted to leave. He scanned the area around him for a familiar face while trying to steer clear of anyone's way. He was shoved around quite a bit until he'd moved to a part of the building that wasn't as congested.

He saw him then, a unique, friendly face he could pick out of a crowd as easily as anyone else could have. With one cybernetic eye and a human one, Cyborg tended to stand out just as much as Garfield did. The other Titan was waving him down with a robotic arm excitedly, wearing a grin as wide as the changeling had always remembered him having. Overcome with a swell of emotion at his best friend's appearance, Beast Boy rushed towards him, his face erupting into a genuine, giddy smile. He pushed past the people in his path as politely as he could before he found himself standing before his old teammate.

"Beastie!" Cyborg cried out, opening his mechanical arms in preparation for an embrace.

"Cy!" Beast Boy gushed, headbutting him into a tight hug that nearly knocked the two-hundred-pound man over. Garfield relished in the feel of the cold metal against his cheek, as familiar to him as the scent of freshly oiled parts.

"It's good to see you again, buddy old pal!" Cyborg stepped back and took in the green changeling's appearance like he was seeing him for the very first time.

His eyes scanned him up and down before landing on his face. "Dang, you've been doin' some serious growing, grass stain!"

Beast Boy shuffled his feet bashfully. "Yeah, I hit a tiny growth spurt," he confessed.

Cyborg waved him off. "Not that tiny. Can't exactly call you string bean anymore, that's for sure. You considered a name change? I don't think the 'Boy' in Beast Boy fits you right, either."

Garfield felt his face grow hot at his friend's keen observation, and scratched at the back of his head in response. "Yeah, well, years of living in the wilderness sort of does that for you. As for a name change, I can't say I've put any real thought to it. Animals don't really communicate quite like humans do."

Cyborg smirked. "You look good, B," he stated simply with an appraising look.

"Heh, thanks," Garfield replied awkwardly, flustered.

He wasn't exactly used to compliments, especially when it concerned his appearance, so he couldn't quite understand how to take them.

So far, things on his first day back to the human world had been going really well, and it was leaving Beast Boy feeling awfully good about himself. However, that feeling was quick to dissipate when he'd gradually come to realize that Cyborg had come _alone_ to retrieve him.

He glanced about the terminal, hopeful that perhaps Starfire had gone to the _room of the wash_ , or Robin was merely in line to grab some snacks for the ride home.

Catching his gaze and understanding exactly where Beast Boy's mind had wandered, Cyborg then sighed half heartedly, his shoulders slumping forward. "They, uh…couldn't make it, man," he admitted, averting his eyes to the ground.

"Oh," Beast Boy whispered, feeling the sudden increase in tension building between them.

"I guess it's probably silly to presume they're busy putting together a surprise, welcome back party?" Garfield grinned hopefully, trying desperately to lighten the souring mood.

Cyborg's expression remained the same; long and somber, as he shook his head slowly.

Beast Boy's ears drooped for the first time that day. "Off stopping crime, then?" He tried again with a little less conviction.

"'Fraid not," was Cyborg's gloomy response.

"So…they just didn't _want_ to come?" He could feel the way his own heart dropped into his stomach, to be swallowed by the sharp sting of bile, as deadly as the information he'd just received.

Cyborg let out a drawn-out sigh. "It's…complicated. Let's just say that things have changed ever since you left on your soul-searching journey."

Of course they had; they always did.

"Changed how?" Beast Boy asked, becoming increasingly worried about the status of his team.

This was precisely what he'd been terrified of discovering.

Cyborg raised his hands up defensively. "Nothin' too serious. Starfire and Robin are still inseparable, Raven's still…well, Raven. Your boy, as you can see, is as fly as ever," he added in cheekily, taking the opportunity to falsely reassure his friend.

Beast Boy narrowed green eyes at him suspiciously before calling him out on his diversion, refusing to fall for it as easily as he might've, had he been a few years younger. "So, why didn't they come? What aren't you telling me, Cy?"

People were openly staring and whispering about them now as they started to become more obvious in the thinning crowds. This new form of attention had not slipped the older Titan's notice, so Cyborg sighed and relented. "Look, we can talk about it in the T-car. For now, I think it's best we get movin' before we're trapped here forever," he instructed as he spied a few of Jump City's tourists unabashedly pointing and gawking at the pair of them.

"Good idea," Garfield assented when he heard a group of girls giggling while shyly glancing in their direction.

Thankfully, Cyborg knew Jump City's airport a lot better than Beast Boy ever had, so he guided them out effortlessly and with little intrusion from the common rabble that surrounded them. By the time fresh city air had finally hit their face, they'd managed to escape the brunt of their crooning fans unscathed.

In somewhat of a hurry to still avoid the public eye, Cyborg was just about to open the trunk of his infamous car when he noted Beast Boy's lack of belongings. "Dude, what happened to all of your things?!" He exclaimed, taking note of his singular, small pack hanging by his hip.

"Do you want the lame truth, or some sort of wizened, meaningful fortune cookie lie?" Beast Boy teased before getting into the passenger's seat of his friend's vehicle.

Cyborg quirked up an eyebrow when he opened the driver's door and got into the T-car. "Both, but the lie first."

Beast Boy grinned excitedly. "I learned that material things are unessential in the search for one's inner conflict, so I left them all behind." He mimicked the tone of voice of an old, wise man in a horrible attempt.

Cyborg chuckled and shook his head as he started the engine and took to the roads for a long drive to Titan Tower. "And the truth?"

Beast Boy rubbed at the tip of his nose. "In Africa, What the baboons didn't tear up, use as toilet paper, or try to eat, I lost in a waterfall. Before that, there were raccoons and bears by the Rockies. I gave up on carrying anything after that, and just wandered around entirely in the nude," he explained plainly.

"Well, under my roof, you best wear some pants," Cyborg threatened, wrinkling his nose at the mention of Beast Boy's brazen lifestyle choices.

The changeling clicked his tongue. "Don't change the subject, Cy. You still have some explaining to do."

Cyborg laughed nervously. "But you probably got so many stories to share, B! Shouldn't we discuss those first?" He tried derailing his currently unimpressed friend.

"No," Garfield answered coldly.

Cyborg's face fell and he kept his eyes on the road even as he spoke, his voice slightly losing it's playful edge. "They wanted to come, I swear. Everyone's missed you more than you know. There's just…a lot goin' on at the Tower right now."

"Like what?" Garfield probed.

"Like, people are busy and no one stays behind minding the Tower in the event of an emergency," Cyborg attempted to expand on his previous statement.

"So, what you're saying is that Starfire and Robin can't keep their hands off one another, and Raven has to stay behind to babysit?" Garfield theorized, folding his arms over his chest.

A beat.

And then; "Somethin' like that, yeah. In any case, just know that they are all super stoked to see you again. I think Star was talkin' about having some sort of elaborate party this week, inviting all the honorary Titans and having a feast. But don't quote me on that."

The corner of Beast Boy's mouth twitched into a mischievous smirk. "Even Rae? I mean, she probably had a celebratory drink the night I left," he joked.

Cyborg didn't give the changeling the reaction he'd been expecting. Instead, he appeared indifferent. "We both know that ain't true," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Are you telling me that she might have actually _missed_ me?" Beast Boy scoffed, somewhat shocked by the revelation.

Cyborg spoke in a serious, no-nonsense tone of voice. "All I'm saying is that we all felt your departure, in our own ways. It ain't ever easy losing a member of the team," he patiently affirmed.

Somehow, Beast Boy was realizing that maybe leaving his team behind for selfish reasons had left a sour taste in some of his friend's mouths, more so than he'd have ever anticipated.

Humbled, and now left staring into his lap because he was a coward, Garfield muttered a weak apology, knowing very well that it wouldn't make up for any of it. "I'm sorry, Cy. I missed all of you guys, too. There wasn't a day I didn't think of you."

Then, like a flick of a switch, the mood shifted. "Don't sweat it," Cyborg told him, lightening up significantly. Under normal circumstances, Beast Boy might have questioned his friend's uncharacteristic change, but he'd been gone for so long that he felt he had to earn that level of respect all over again before he could attempt something so bold.

By the time they'd reached the edge of the city, close enough to spot the Tower in the middle of the water, Beast Boy had forgotten how nostalgic the giant T shaped building was going to make him feel. Over the years, Cyborg had made a few tweaks and upgrades to it but, more or less, it appeared much the same as the day he had left. His palms grew sweaty as he thought about reuniting with the others, and he rubbed them anxiously against his jeans. How were they going to react? If even Cyborg, his best and most trusted friend, had been irritable with him, there was no telling what state he'd find Raven, Robin, and Starfire in.

"We left your room the way it was. I want to say Star and Rae were in there often, keeping it clean, but to be honest, I'm not really sure what they did in there most of the time. I'd help out now and again, too but…I guess it was a bit much for me," Cyborg disclosed during the silent and tense elevator ride from the building's garage.

The raw honesty hit Beast Boy like a knife in his gut, twisting ever so slowly. Before he could say anything to alleviate Cyborg's conscience, the elevator doors opened, and they both walked into the foyer of their home.

Nothing ever stayed the same, that much Garfield had always known to be true. Not even the place he'd once called home only a few years back.

They'd certainly redecorated a lot of the common room. There were tons of new gadgets and electronics, the older ones being replaced due to outdated tech and software, leading them to be unreliable. The Titans had also, at some point, gotten a newer sofa, although it was still very much red, only now more spacious and comfortable looking than ever. The flat screen TV was much bigger, and there were strange, alien like plants that sat on the windowsills; an obvious attest to Starfire's tastes in decor.

"You guys got upgraded," Beast Boy commented, still in wonder as he took it all in with wide eyes.

" _He has arrived_!"

Before Garfield could even register the voice, he was nearly tackled to the ground in a ferocious hug by a female body. His vision was instantly greeted with a blur of bright green stardust and vibrant red hair that smelled of wild berries and vanilla.

He patted the taller woman's back affectionately and smiled into her shoulder once he'd figured out her identity. "It's great to see you, too, Star." At least some things never changed, and that was a comforting thought.

The Tamaranean princess then lifted him off the ground with ease, and squeezed him tighter against her chest. "Dearest friend Beast Boy! We have all missed you _so_! Please, do not ever think of doing the leaving again!"

Beast Boy wheezed. " _Star…you're…strangling…m-me_!"

She let him go and he nearly slumped to the floor, taking in deep, long breaths of oxygen like his lungs couldn't remember what it felt like.

"Looks like you've gotten stronger," he croaked at her, cracking his neck while he surveyed the tall, orange skinned woman before him.

She'd easily outgrown her previous outfit, and now was dressed in something slightly more provocative. He notably blushed at the amount of skin Starfire exposed in the small, purple number that more than flattered her voluptuous figure. Robin was one lucky bastard, he thought to himself.

"You've grown quite a bit as well, Beast Boy." Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. It was Robin's voice that had carried over from behind his beautiful girlfriend.

Starfire turned to acknowledge the man who had come forth from the hallway, and Beast Boy had a hard time recognizing his old leader in his shiny, new, spandex getup. Gone was the infamous yellow, green, and red of the boy wonder, now replaced with a sleek, black body suit, only marked by a blue emblem of a bird on his wide chest. Richard had also sprouted quite a few inches in height, having caught up with Cyborg's size; yet they both remained somewhat dwarfed by Starfire's more impressive, Amazonian like stature.

Despite the fact that the two had left on somewhat rockier terms, there was still a great deal of respect between Beast Boy and the Titans leader, and that had been the reason they were genuinely happy to be in each other's company once again.

Robin, now formally known as Nightwing, extended a hand in warm greeting, and Beast Boy took it firmly.

"It's good to finally have you back on the team," Nightwing said, smiling at the reinstated Titan.

"It's good to be back," Beast Boy nodded curtly. "You'll be happy to know that this dog has learned a few new tricks. I'd love to have a debrief with you about it all sometime soon."

Nightwing shook his head. "There'll be plenty of time to talk shop later. Right now, let's just enjoy each other's company."

Starfire squealed excitedly, and Cyborg shouted out a loud "Booyah!"

Garfield grinned. "Looks like Star's softened you up a bit these days," he informed Nightwing, raising his brows suggestively at his leader.

That was when it came to his attention that something vital was still missing in their little reunion. Beast Boy glanced about the room, scanning for a familiar head of purple hair that he didn't see anywhere. He frowned, and brought it to the team's attention; "So uh, anyone seen Raven?"

Immediately, the other Titans' expressions changed, Starfire and Nightwing exchanging a concerned glance, communicating without the aid of words. It did not go unnoticed by Beast Boy.

"Did I say something weird?" He asked them, shrugging his broad shoulders, perplexed.

"Friend Raven is in her room," Starfire finally offered in a somewhat smaller voice.

Beast Boy couldn't wrap his head around the sudden change of attitude in his fellow teammates. Even Cyborg couldn't meet his eyes. "Did she miss the memo, or am I going to have to go and get her myself?" He asked them, growing more irritable by the second.

Beast Boy couldn't help but feel a little offended by Raven's supposed brush off, and the Titans' silence did little to assuage his anger. Without waiting for permission, he stalked down the hall with a groan, brushing past both Starfire and Nightwing in the process. They both simultaneously made an attempt to stop him, but their hearts weren't in it.

The green changeling went right up to the empath's door, the same one he'd spent outside of many times before, and knocked gently despite his bubbling agitation.

"Rae? You in there?" He called to her, keeping his voice reasonably calm.

The other Titans had followed after him, ready to play mediator if need be, like they always did. For the most part though, they hung back and became mere spectators. Day one, and already Beast Boy was off to a bad start with the temperamental empath.

Everyone seemed to be holding their breath in anticipation, and it felt like an eternity had passed before they got a response. Garfield had been gearing up to bang on the metal with a closed fist, feeling like he was one bad minute away from busting her door down instead.

Then, there was the familiar sound of mechanical locks moving out of place as the steel wall swished open to reveal the final Titan by the entrance. Raven, not quite as he remembered her, stood before the changeling wearing a look of both mild surprise and empathy. Her lips were parted, her eyes widening as she took in his presence like she couldn't believe that he was _real_.

Immediately, Beast Boy's anger was replaced with awe as he blatantly stared at her and her new…outfit.

Some things might have stayed the same. Others had evidently _changed_.

There was no more black leotard; instead, Raven wore a form fitting, sleeveless, high collared blue dress that reached the ground, with slits that ran up the length of her thighs and hips, only ending at her small waist where they met the rest of the fabric. It left a lot of her pale skin deliciously exposed, including her long, shapely legs. Her loose hanging, jeweled belt remained, as well as her infamous plum coloured cloak, clasped at the base of her throat by a single red gem. Her hair was styled much in the same length and color as it had always been, and she wore a pair of fingerless gloves that covered most of her forearms and matched the colour motif of the rest of her outfit. She paired it all with boots that reached just over her knees, making the entire ensemble somehow appear racier, despite the coverage.

Like most of the other Titans, she'd also gotten a bit taller, but not enough to be significantly noticeable, especially in comparison to Beast Boy, who was roughly around the same height.

"Beast Boy," she greeted, acknowledging him with a straight face, but there was a softness in her violet eyes that he could swear hadn't been there before.

"Raven," he said her name with a smile on his lips, forgetting all about his temper in order to make room for the swell of emotion in his chest instead. "Why are you hiding away in here?"

She shifted her gaze to the ground. "I had some things to take care of," she told him apologetically, her pale fingers intertwining against the small amount of fabric hanging over her legs.

Garfield, not wanting to wait for her to get comfortable around him again, immediately pulled her into his arms, taking her by surprise and making her let out a short gasp at the unexpected move.

"I'm hoping you missed me as much as I missed you," he cooed into her hair, being sure to take a long whiff of her comforting scent.

She tensed against his chest, but it didn't deter him from holding her closer. Something about her smell was _new_ , and he wasn't sure yet if he liked it, or if it was offsetting instead.

That was when Beast Boy's worries were officially cemented. All the strange behaviour, the dodging of questions, the changes in his oldest friends. Something was _wrong_ , very wrong, and he had a good suspicion that it had everything to do with Raven.

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 **A/N:** _A slow start, I know, but I needed a good introduction chapter to help understand where it all begins. This story itself won't be spanning too many chapters (I've got maybe 6-10 planned). In case anyone is wondering, yes, Starfire, Nightwing, and Raven's outfits all allude to their comic book counterparts. :) Anyways, feedback is always welcomed, as per usual. Thanks for reading!_


	2. Lesson of Burnt Bridges

**A/N:** _Thank you to everyone who is following, favouriting and /or reviewing this story. You guys are awesome and I can only hope to continue on delivering quality stuff!_

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 **Hellfire**

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 _2\. Lesson of Burnt Bridges_

Something smelled _bad_.

Not the kind of bad that happened when Beast Boy might have forgotten the tofu out for a week or anything like that. This smell was different and, unlike said bad tofu, he would be the only one sensitive enough to pick up on it.

The scent was hard to describe; all that Beast Boy knew was that it was triggering something innate from within him, something he thought he'd put to rest after his long and treacherous journey among mother Earth's wilds. It was putting him on edge, making him jump at the slightest movement, his fangs bared and his body hair standing on end.

He'd given Starfire a near heart attack when she'd approached him with two drinks in her hands. The red haired princess had come up behind him just as the strange scent had invaded his nostrils, triggering feelings of warning and aggression from within him. He sensed her before he could register who she was, and very nearly sent the fragile glasses flying towards the wall.

"Friend Beast Boy! What is it that is bothering you?" Starfire had asked him after he'd settled down and profusely apologized to her.

Luckily enough, her reflexes were fast enough that she was able to prevent anything from spilling. Nonetheless, Garfield felt horrible for his unprecedented reaction, and it only made him want to discover the source of the abhorrent smell even more.

He took one of the cups from her outstretched hands and glared at the elevator doors. "It's probably nothing," he reassured her.

Starfire did not seem to find his answer adequate. "You've been silent most of this night. Do you not wish to partake in the party of welcoming?"

He mustered up a weak smile for her sake. "It's lovely, Star. Thank you. I'll mingle, I promise."

Maybe he'd merely grown accustomed to being alone after spending so much time in his own company, but for some reason, Beast Boy hadn't been as excited for the party as he'd thought he would have been. In the animal kingdom, even the most social of creatures would often shun him for his unique appearance. It turned out that they weren't all that different from the human race, in some aspects.

Starfire's cheery disposition returned as she clasped her hands together. "Good! I have a night of festivities planned, just for you!" She happily exclaimed.

She left him alone then, humming to herself and recalling a few more things she still had to do while the night was still young and the guests had not yet arrived. Beast Boy took a sip of the mystery beverage she'd provided him with and spat it back out immediately. His tongue was on fire, and then his throat and esophagus. As if his sensitive sense of smell wasn't enough, now his mouth was contaminated with some strange Tamaranean ingredient he couldn't get rid of no matter how much water he drank.

By the time he'd hit his fifth glass and had managed to somehow downplay the strong flavor, Starfire, Nightwing, and Cyborg had helped set up most of the various minigames that would be involved in the evening. Food and snacks littered the table and the kitchen, as well as beverages that weren't Starfire's unholy poison. After the incident with her latest concoction, Cyborg had promptly forbade the Tamaranean warrior from entering his kitchen for the rest of the night. She'd pouted and floated away, temporarily disheartened, but the affect hadn't lasted long. There was still an event to be had and guests to entertain, after all.

Raven, according to Nightwing, was still in her room getting ready. Beast Boy didn't know how much to believe of that but, until he knew more, he would have to remain silent and accepting of the fact. Even at the thought of her, there was a tightening feeling in his gut that made him anxious.

Thankfully, the elevator doors opened to reveal the slow arrival of all of Starfire's invited guests. Once the Titans East had finally turned up, along with Jinx and Kid Flash, the party was well underway and Garfield pushed his concerns to the very back of his mind. After all, the Titans had gone through a lot of trouble to throw him this party; he may as well enjoy it.

As had been expected, the changeling was instantly crowded around by his old friends and comrades, all eager to inspect his new look and hear all about his latest adventures away from home.

"So, did you really go everywhere?" Garth asked him, skepticism evident in his tone.

Beast Boy nodded. "Everywhere I wanted to go, yeah. My goal was to interact with as much of nature as I could, to not only turn into my beast counterparts, but to live as them, too," he replied proudly.

Karen threw her head back and laughed aloud. "I have to say it; I wouldn't have expected you to last more than a day, Beast Boy," she admitted with a hint of a smile.

"Trust me; I was ready to pack it up and leave after day two," he confessed.

Roy, after having finished with his inspection of Beast Boy's appearance, asked rather bluntly, "Why didn't you?"

Garfield opted to stare at the ground rather than at the circle of inquisitive faces surrounding him. He took a deep breath, ignored the heat from the stares boring into him, and tried to formulate a response that didn't dredge up the uglier past.

Much to his surprise, it was Nightwing who spoke up in his defense first. "Don't pry, Speedy. The point is he did, and he's come back to us in one piece."

An estranged silence fell over the gathered crowd then, with Cyborg's playlist coming back into focus as the party music boomed softly over the speakers.

Someone coughed.

Starfire, sensing the newly budding tension in the room, broke the stalemate first, not wishing for her party to be tainted by such an unfavorable moment. "Did you learn much of the new things?"

Garfield grinned, perking up at the most welcomed swerve in conversation. He puffed up immediately, his shoulders and back straightening. "Did I ever! Relying on my animal forms alone had me getting creative. I can't wait to show you guys what I can do in a fight!"

Beast Boy had a look of pure determination settle into his features. Truth be told, he was itching to get back into the game. Despite his teammate's reassurances otherwise, he still felt like there was something he needed to prove.

It was around that point in the night when Raven had decided to finally emerge from the dark depths of her bedroom to join the get together. Her entry was so quiet and so stealthy that no one had noticed it except for Beast Boy. He watched her as she floated in towards the table where the food was laid out, like a black shadow that crept along the walls. She eyed it all skeptically before finally settling on some veggies and dip. The empath paid little to no mind to anyone else, content to merely be in their presence without having to actually engage in any sort of conversation. Typical Raven. Despite the new, much bolder outfit, the goth girl was still as antisocial as they came.

As the group of Titans and friends indulged in friendly, and somewhat cheeky banter, and the mood had significantly lightened thanks to Starfire's intervention, Beast Boy excused himself from the rabble and approached the isolated demoness.

Raven pretended to be oblivious to his subtle arrival, nibbling on a slice of cucumber and staring at nothing. Garfield reached over and grabbed a handful of bitesize carrots, popping them into his mouth like they were candy. They both stood there by the snack table, crunching on the vegetables in a comfortable silence. Raven didn't flee to her bedroom, like Garfield had nearly anticipated. She seemed to almost welcome his presence, and he wondered if she had missed him. Hadn't Victor said something about her migrating into his room occasionally when he'd been gone? Why was that? She certainly hadn't liked it enough to visit when he used to inhabit it.

"Enjoying your party?" Raven finally broke the silence, her tone bland and disinterested.

Beast Boy ate the last carrot and smoothly boasted, "I am, now that everyone's here."

She gave him an unimpressed side glance. "I told Nightwing, I was getting ready."

Beast Boy tried not to roll his eyes. "You look the same as you looked this morning, Rae."

"I was meditating," she insisted.

Not wanting to scare her off, Beast Boy let her have her way. "Alright, well, either way, I'm glad you came out. You went to bed super early the other night and I feel like we haven't really gotten a chance to catch up."

Raven averted her gaze guiltily. "I heard. You had a fantastic time away from the team and learned a lot of cool things about your powers. Now, hopefully, you and Nightwing can stop butting heads. Is that the gist of it?"

Even though he'd expected it, her response had been cold and unfeeling.

Raven was upset with him.

Beast Boy scratched the back of his head as he struggled to think of the right thing to say.

"I didn't leave because of Richard, Rae…," he told her, his voice small and distant.

She turned on him then, fury in her violet eyes, her nostrils flared and her teeth set in a grimace. " _Then why did you leave?_ " She seethed, unable to mask her rage.

Only, it wasn't just anger he saw reflected in her eyes.

It was sadness, too.

Betrayal.

Hurt.

Abandonment.

She was angry because he'd left them, he'd left _her_.

He stared at her, wide eyed and perplexed, more unsure than he'd ever been before. It was like meeting her for the first time all over again.

In the moment it took for him to gather his bearings, Raven had seemingly realized her blunder, and had significantly calmed down. She looked as if to have regretted the outburst altogether.

"I'm sorry. That was out of line," she admitted in her staple tone of voice.

Beast Boy grappled with the jumbled words he wanted to say, but it was as if his tongue had grown in size and he couldn't formulate speech at all.

 _Sometimes, Raven would go into his room when he was gone…_

"I left because I had to." His confidence had seemingly returned and, although he remained somewhat flustered by her reaction, he would press on, in his own defense. "I needed time to myself, to figure out my own limitations and possibilities, without someone bossing me around and telling me what to do. In the wilderness, I'm allowed to do that."

"I left because I got tired of being the little guy. All of you got stronger, and I started to get left behind. On top of no one ever taking me seriously, I was also quickly becoming the weakest on the team. How was I ever supposed to fix that if I…if I couldn't even use some of my strongest attributes because I was too scared to?"

He looked her in the eyes then, leaning in so close that she could make out the amber flecks in the verdant green of his irises. "How was I supposed to learn how to control it when all I could think about was the possibility of hurting _you_? Hurting _anyone_?"

"You were the one who told me once that knowing when to let it out was what made me a man, a true hero. I never forgot that, Rae." He closed his eyes, shook his head briefly, and let out a drawn out, tired sigh. "I'd be no hero if I never learned to understand that part of me. In fact, I wouldn't be any better than scum like Adonis, and you'd have no choice but to stop me, by any means necessary."

When he opened his eyes again, they were sincere. "I left because it was the best thing to do for _me_ , Rae. I'm sorry if it was selfish, or if you thought it was because I hated this team, but I promise, I'm going to make it up to all of you. I'm back for good this time, and I'm not going anywhere."

He did his best to appear truthful, forcing out a toothy grin even if he was feeling defeated on the inside.

Raven's mouth was open, speechless.

Beast Boy, taking her silence as a form of confusion, scratched the back of his head and clarified, "I know words alone won't change things, but I'm willing to try if you are."

A familiar warmth crept into her stoic features then and, when she spoke, she couldn't hold his gaze. "I'm…happy you're back…"

The corners of her mouth twitched into a slight smile, but Beast Boy wasn't a fool; Raven's trust and friendship never came easily. He had a lot of work to do, to repair whatever damage he'd caused on the day he had decided to take his leave of the Teen Titans. He simply hadn't realized how much he'd impacted them all, most especially Raven. Still, he stood by his decision; if it hadn't been for his impromptu, self imposed exile, he'd never have learned all the hardest lessons, of how to be so in tune with his own body and his many transformations. Given the opportunity, he'd gladly do it again.

"Friend Raven, it is nice of you to join us!" Starfire squealed with joy upon spotting the familiar empath by the snack table.

It had drawn the attention of both Cyborg and Nightwing in the process, and Beast Boy didn't miss the terse look on their leader's face, or the worried glance from the robotic man.

As the red haired princess floated towards them, a trail of sparkling, luminescent green stardust in her wake, Garfield could nearly feel the way the empath recoiled back within her shell next to him. Her hood came up in attest to her emotional closure, masking most of her elven-like face in the darkness of the infamous cloak. A look of hurt flashed across Starfire's expressive features, and the alien girl hesitated in her approach.

"I-I did not mean to intrude on the conversation…," she spoke softly, solemn eyes travelling to the ground.

Garfield, noting that Raven would not be gracing anyone with an answer anytime soon, took it upon himself to reply, "You're not interrupting at all, Star. We were just…catching up." He gave Raven a nervous glance, but the girl he'd seen moments ago had vanished beneath the persona of her unfeeling other half.

And then it happened again, assaulting his senses like a brick wall.

The scent, most unpleasant and foul, was stronger now. Almost instantly, Beast Boy switched gears. One second, he was his usual, fun loving self, and the next, he was nearly growling, his green eyes overtaken by the fire-like amber beneath, his smile shifting into a snarl. From within, the monster entered a fight or flight response while he tried to maintain control.

Time seemed to come to a slow crawl. Conversation droned on in the background, but he wasn't listening, not really.

Again, his eyes were drawn to the elevator doors where the scent seemed to be permeating from, almost as if it were the very source of the evil, vile thing it wafted off of.

Somehow coordinated with his mind, the elevator doors slowly opened, the red light flashing above signalling the arrival of a new guest.

A hush fell over everyone as they turned to acknowledge the latest attendee.

Garfield's jaw clenched, his lithe body ready to pounce if need be; he was antsy and ready for a fight. All he needed were two words, and all hell would break loose.

Two words, and he would shred whoever stepped through those metal doors to pieces without a second thought.

Alas, they never came, nor would they ever. Nightwing had embraced the silence as well.

Like a moment that had outstayed it's welcome, Beast Boy watched helplessly as a sharply dressed man walked into the room, holding a white box of freshly baked goods in his arms.

His hair was an inky black, shaved at the bottom and sides with a healthy mop of waves on the top. He was tall, tanned, and built like a man who didn't miss a day at the gym. He had an easy going smile, a bit of a pronounced nose, wide jaw, and thick, black brows. His eyes, however, were an unnatural, luminescent grey so light, they could have been white. They reminded Beast Boy of a cloud covered sky on a dreary winter day. More importantly, he was the real source of the unpleasant smell Garfield had picked up on earlier.

Even more alarming was that Beast Boy had noted faint traces of his foul scent all over Raven herself.

Beast Boy's claws retracted as he watched the empath move to be the first to approach the unfamiliar man that had waltzed into the tower.

"Is that _Gideon_?" Starfire had whispered under her breath, quiet enough that only Garfield's trained ears could have picked it up.

 _Gideon…_

"You came," Raven had said airily, once she stood before the impressive looking man.

He smiled at her, his perfect teeth a pearly white line that caught the glint of the light.

"You invited me, Raven. Why wouldn't I come?" His voice was a deep baritone when he spoke, and his strange eyes twinkled when he stared down at her.

No matter how much he tried, Beast Boy couldn't shake the feeling of immediate distrust and dislike. He was on edge and he couldn't figure out why. Every part of him screamed to attack, defend, or run away, and all for a strange man and his unconventional smell.

"It's good to see you again, Gideon," Nightwing stepped up to shake his hand, ignoring the way Raven watched him with scrutiny all the while.

" _Again_?" Beast Boy leaned in towards Starfire for an elaboration, still trying to puzzle out Gideon's connection to his friends.

The Tamaranean girl watched the exchange fervently, even as she answered the other Titan's concerns. "He is…a new friend of Raven's. You have not yet met him because they only recently found one another. During the time that you were absent," she explained in uncharacteristic monotone.

Beast Boy wrinkled his nose when Gideon and Richard shook hands. "He smells like _death_ ," he complained.

Much to his surprise, Starfire did not disagree with his observation. "If it is of the creeps you speak of, then yes, he gives them to me, too. Ever since…friend Raven has not been the same…" Starfire hugged her bare arms as if to have been overcome with a new chill.

"She does not speak to us often, and it has been many moons since the last time she participated in the girls' night. I feel as if…she has drifted." The pained look on Starfire's features spoke volumes about how the girl felt about losing one of her best friends.

It was unlike Raven to distance herself in such a manner, and it only fueled Garfield's immediate dislike for Gideon even more.

When he posed his next question, he couldn't help himself. He couldn't help the way his temper coloured the low rumble in his voice. Watching the way the pair of them interacted, Beast Boy felt more than justified in his reaction. "Is he…is he her boyfriend, Star?"

She chewed on the bottom of her lip and shrugged, her eyes still glued to the strange couple, where Cyborg and some of the Titans East members had joined in. "I do not know for certain. It is something we have questioned for many a time now. Friend Raven is not…forthcoming with that information. They are close, as she spends most of her time either with him, or locked away in her room. Perhaps…," Starfire then took the opportunity to spare Beast Boy an apprehensive look.

When he caught her gaze, she looked away, sighing.

"What is it, Star?" He asked her, placing a hand on her bare shoulder.

She shook her head. "It is not of importance…"

"Tell me," he urged.

She looked back and forth between him and the ground. "It is just an idea of the silly variety...," she began to explain, her voice small and distant, "Now that you have returned to us…perhaps…perhaps, it is _you_ who can bring our friend Raven back to the Titans once more…"

Starfire looked desperate, like Garfield was the last beacon of hope for the sister she'd thought long lost to her warmth.

" _Me_?" The disbelief in his tone was hard not to betray. "Why the heck do you think she'd listen to me, of all people?"

"Because," Starfire grabbed a hold of his hand with her own, fingers squeezing gently. "Isn't it obvious? _You_ are the one she is trying to replace."

Exactly what was that supposed to have meant?

Beast Boy couldn't for the life of him pull together a picture from the riddle the taller Titan had given him. "I don't understand. This Gideon dude is nothing like me," he argued.

"He doesn't have to be," responded Starfire quite simply.

He wanted to ask her more. He needed her to clarify the darkness in her ominous words, but just as he was to pursue the notion, the awful smell was back in full throttle, making him take an unsteady step back while trying to block it out with his arm. Gideon was fast approaching the spot where him and Starfire stood, a hooded Raven in tow. Beast Boy's hands became balled fists at his sides while he tried to prevent his claws from digging into his palms and drawing blood.

He steeled himself for his arrival and held his head up high. It was ridiculous, how much of a slave Garfield was becoming to his own primal instincts.

"Gideon, this is Beast Boy. He's the one the party is for. Beast Boy, Gideon," Raven introduced them both, all the while the two men sized one another up.

An amused grin settled on the handsome gentleman's features before he nodded in greeting. "Ah, the green shapeshifter. I've heard so much about you," he stated, his cold, unnatural eyes peering down at Beast Boy from his more impressive height.

"Funny, I can't say the same for you," Garfield sniped back, missing the more obvious meaning behind his words.

Gideon threw his head back and laughed. "Well, that's probably due to your somewhat lengthy absence. Not to worry, you'll see a lot more of me now, Beast Boy."

Garfield grinded his teeth together, the rage within him coming to a boil in his veins. He envisioned himself scratching out the older man's throat, and it somewhat appeased him for the time being. What was it about him that made him react in such a volatile way? Why was Raven so enthralled with him? Surely, being an empath, she could sense it, too. Yet, when Garfield glanced at the dark slip of a girl next to him, she did not appear to be fazed in the least. Instead, she remained passive and indifferent, despite Beast Boy's obvious distaste for her 'friend'.

A cold shiver trickled down Beast Boy's spine as he came to a dreadful realization; was Raven in some sort of trouble? If so, was this stranger at the root of it, all the while she was just trying to protect her friends? It certainly sounded a whole lot like something she would do. Unfortunately, before he got the chance to interrogate Gideon any further, he'd moved on to greet the rest of the party, no longer interested in what the changeling had to say.

The rest of the evening, Beast Boy made it a personal challenge to watch him like a hawk. He didn't dare take his eyes off him, always certain of where he was in the room at any given time. He stared heatedly as Gideon mingled with and charmed the members of Titans East. Beast Boy barely touched any food or drink that night, more comfortable brooding in his own personal corner where he was, on occasion, joined by Cyborg and Starfire. They typically engaged in conversation with one another once they'd realized that Garfield wasn't capable of any more than one word answers.

It ruffled his feathers, seeing the way Gideon would casually brush Raven's arm with his fingers when he thought no one was looking. The man wasn't _right_. Beast Boy didn't how or why just yet, but his instincts had grown nothing but sharper over the last few years, as he had to rely on them more than anything out in the wilds, and so he'd come to trust them wholly. When he'd hunted with a pack of wolves, and they'd encountered a ferocious bear just after a kill, the hostility and fear was not unlike what Beast Boy was feeling now. They had easily outnumbered the bear, but he was still bigger and he was also just as hungry, wishing to scavenge their food and take it for himself. The wolves were overcome with both a sense of duty and anger, while at the same time fully aware that their enemy could easily rip any which one of them in half from the sheer size of his maw and claws.

Gideon was the bear.

Beast Boy was the wolf. Only, unlike his pack, he was alone, and it went without saying that a lone wolf could never stand up to a nasty grizzly.

Despite all his misgivings and antisocial behaviour, the night moved on, with or without Garfield's involvement. The guests played a few of Starfire's games, and all the while, Gideon flirted shamelessly with Raven. At one point, she'd surprisingly decided to play a game of darts after his persuasion, and grew agitated when she continued to miss the board completely. He'd taken it upon himself to show her. Standing behind her in what could only have been an intimate gesture, he gripped her delicate wrist in his larger hand, guided her fingers around the dart, and moved for her. It flew towards the board in a blur, landing dead-centre and leaving everyone in awe, including Raven herself. Her pale cheeks coloured, and she nervously tucked a stray lock of violet hair behind her ear.

Mas and Menos high fived Gideon at his excellent sportsmanship, while Roy easily demolished everyone at the game, throwing multiple darts and hitting a bullseye with ease. He didn't seem so keen about winning once Starfire had handed over a moving, tentacled Tamaranean plant as his prize, and it had promptly tried to slap him in the face with it's slimy appendage.

Cyborg, Aqualad, and Bumblebee were currently butting heads in a racing videogame the Titans had booted up. Judging from the raging males, it was evident that Karen was in the lead. "Beginner's luck!" Cyborg scoffed, throwing his controller onto the coffee table in defeat. Garth cradled his head in his lap, too ashamed to show his face.

Karen smirked, twirling the controller in her hand. "Practice makes perfect, boys," she chuckled.

Wally had cranked up the new karaoke machine and was busy trying to serenade an unimpressed, pink haired witch with his grossly off pitch tenor. Eventually, Jinx cast a spell that caused the speedy wonder to tangle and trip on the microphone wires, eliciting a snicker from her pale lips.

Nightwing and Starfire were embroiled in a heated game of scrabble and, judging from Richard's frustrated grimace, Starfire was winning. Every time he came to challenge a word she'd used that he'd never heard of, she whipped out the dictionary and read out the definition, giggling when he banged his fist against the table in embarrassment.

Meanwhile, Beast Boy was scouring the kitchen cupboards for something alcoholic. Unlike normal humans, liquor had a strange effect on the changeling. With a metabolism as fast as his, he was able to break down the liquid far too quickly for it to ever really get him intoxicated. Unless, of course, he consumed a copious amount in quick succession. Not that he'd ever tried.

What it _did_ do was weaken his keen senses, distorting them like a fun house mirror. Judging by the way his hands shook with barely contained emotion, he could certainly use that sort of effect.

After much digging and cursing, he finally found a bottle of Jack Daniels all the way in the back of a high cupboard. As he struggled to reach it, he was smacked again with the smell that came off of Gideon's skin like putrid acid. The older man reached the bottle with ease and brought it down for the changeling, not realizing exactly how angry the action had made him. Beast Boy didn't know whether he wanted to punch him in his stupid nose or run and hide with his tail between his legs.

"Looking for the good stuff, huh?" Gideon smiled and there was something sinister about the way it darkened his features.

Garfield glowered at him, snatching the bottle in a single, swift motion. "I didn't need your help," he barked, unscrewing the lid, and taking a long, healthy gulp of the stuff. It burned against the back of his throat, but he continued anyways, hoping to drown out his animal instincts before he did something rash, like act on them.

The whole time, Gideon watched him with interest, his crystal-like eyes locked to emerald irises. Neither of them blinked.

"Is Starfire's party for you so awful that it's turned you to drinking?" Gideon finally queried.

Beast Boy finished half the bottle before pulling away and wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "It has nothing to do with Starfire. I just haven't had a drink in years, and it's a celebration, isn't it?"

He reached the bottle out towards him in mockery before taking another swig. "Cheers, mate."

Gideon raised his brows in amusement, folding his thick arms over a muscular chest, but didn't say anything more when Garfield opted to leave his company.

It was then that Raven had levitated past him into the kitchen, eyeing the bottle in his hands warily while Beast Boy made it a point to ignore her. It hadn't been intentional; he simply wasn't sure how to relax when he was so consumed with unexplainable contempt. Not to mention, Gideon's scent was still on her, clinging to her clothes, her skin, her hair.

Raven watched him reclusively give her his back as he stalked away to investigate the game Victor, Karen, and Garth were currently playing.

"He doesn't like me much, does he?" Gideon chuckled, running his fingers through his messy crop of black hair.

Raven pouted. "He's spent the last few years interacting with animals...," she explained weakly.

"He is your friend, Raven, and I can sense that you care about him greatly. For your sake, I'll let it go," he informed her, his lips a thin line of a smile.

"He'll come around," she assured him.

* * *

He'd done it.

At some point, he'd downed enough of the bottle until his face was hot, his vision grew hazy, and there was a stagger in his step. No one would dare tell him not to; if anything, he got a few congratulations for being the first to indulge in the celebration. The other guests joined him, taking it as a sign that it was about time the party became more adult friendly. Nightwing nursed a beer, Starfire had consumed shot after shot, what with her alien physiology also being tolerant of the stuff, and Cyborg avoided drink entirely for what it would do to his systems. Mas and Menos weren't allowed to have any due to their age, and Raven and Gideon both politely refused. Jinx had a drink in hand, but it was Wally that had consumed enough booze for the both of them. Everyone else steadily grew rowdy as the drinking games began, and Beast Boy pummeled Cyborg in a fighting videogame by mashing buttons.

"The reigning champ has returned to reclaim his throne!" He slurred, standing up and extending his arms into the air victoriously, his shirt riding up to reveal the toned muscles of his green abdomen.

"Are those _abs_ , B?! Since when'd ya get so ripped?" Roy investigated the changeling's exposed belly with a hiccup.

He poked the taut muscles while Garfield drunkenly gloated. "Don't underestimate the power of green!"

Beast Boy stumbled back into the couch then and closed his eyes, relishing in the brief reprieve he'd been granted from his powers.

Mas and Menos chimed in something in spanish, and Starfire helped translate. "They think you are the coolest, Beast Boy!"

He grinned and gave the youngest Titans a thumbs up, his eyes still shut.

Garfield didn't know how long he had stayed that way, but by the time he'd opened his eyes again, everyone was gone. It had only felt like a fleeting moment, but when he moved, he quickly realized that the alcohol had made him pass out on the couch. There was a small, quilted blanket thrown over him that hadn't been there before. He took it off, stood up on unsteady legs, and yawned.

For the most part, the common room had been tidied up, but remnants of the party littered the place. The darts were left on the table, as was the packed up game of scrabble. The food and garbage had been put away, the TV turned off, and the quiet buzz of the wee hours of morning the only thing that was audible. Realizing that the rest of the team had probably tuckered out for the night and had simply not wished to disturb him, Beast Boy picked up the blanket and made for his room to sleep as well.

As he traversed the halls with a woozy head, he _heard_ it before anything else.

Initially, the voices were muffled, the effects of the alcohol still somewhat prevalent within him for the moment. He couldn't focus his attention, so he drew closer, finally picking up on the whispering voices just around the corner.

"…thank you, it meant a lot…," came Raven's gravelly tone.

"Of course."

Briefly, he didn't register the male voice, confused about the night's events as it had all become one giant blur thanks to the liquor.

Then, it came rushing back to him like a typhoon, and he recognized Gideon's presence like the shadowy plague that it was. It was as if he had opened the flood gates to his instincts; they overwhelmed him in crushing waves, and he struggled to keep it together, stifling a groan as his head pulsed.

That was when he felt a steadying, strong hand on his back. He turned to snap at the intruder only to be greeted by Nightwing's tight lipped expression. Richard brought a single, gloved finger to his lips, and Garfield clammed up. Then, they both stealthily peeked around the corner to where Gideon and Raven stood only inches apart down the hall.

Raven's eyes had been downcast, but Gideon had removed her hood in a gentle manner, and he'd pulled her chin towards him. As he leaned in, and Garfield immediately gleaned his intentions, he felt an impulse that told him to put a quick stop to it, or to punch a hole through the wall. Either or would have sufficed.

It was Nightwing's tight grip on his shoulder that kept Garfield tethered to his humanity. He was just as angry about it as well; Beast Boy could feel it in the way his fingertips dug into him as a result.

The kiss itself between Raven and her handsome friend was brief, nothing more than a soft touch of lips. What shocked them both was how pliant the empath had become. Never had Beast Boy seen her react in such a way, not even with Malchior. It was as if he'd stolen her very breath, and when they parted, she stood somewhat swaying in the corridor, her eyes closed and lips parted in anticipation.

Garfield wanted nothing more than to run down the hall and wipe her mouth with his thumb, cleansing Gideon's despicable mark from her.

Before he could seriously consider the action, Nightwing had dragged Beast Boy into the darkness of his room, closing the door before Gideon could catch them spying.

Once the coast was clear, and they could hear the faint sound of Raven disappearing behind her bedroom door and, in the distance, the elevator doors ding, they both resumed breathing.

"What the hell, Dick?!" Garfield snapped at last, shoving his leader away from him in agitation.

If Nightwing was bothered at all by the insubordinate action, he did not make it known. Instead, he sighed, and for the first time in a long time, it could be seen how tired he was.

"I know, I don't like it, either. I looked into him. His background came up clean, too clean. As a matter of fact, I barely found anything at all," Richard admitted, taking up to pacing in his room.

"Why haven't you said anything about it? Everyone knows something's up with that shifty dude, but you let him hang around the tower like he's part of the team?!" Garfield's emotions bubbled and erupted, as he was unable to contain the shaking anxiety that had left his hands nearly useless.

"You should get a load of his scent; it's atrocious! It's like taking a whiff of garbage left to rot in the sun for months; like days old roadkill mixed with sewage! Silkie's barf smells better!" Garfield growled, clutching at his hair.

Richard, ever the seamless leader, answered in a confident voice, "There's nothing to be done for now. You saw Raven; he's left an impression, and telling her otherwise will only drive her further away from us. It's best to wait and watch for now. If we keep him close, we can monitor him. If we act too soon, we'll only scare him off and Raven with him."

He stepped closer so that he looked down his nose at Beast Boy. "That's _not_ a consequence I'm willing to risk," he stated gruffly, a twitch in the vein by his temple.

Beast Boy scowled, giving Nightwing a sneer. "Typical; not even a few days in and you're already trying to control me."

"That isn't the case, Gar. I'm your leader, and right now, making a move would only endanger Raven and solve nothing. I swear to you, I'm working on it, but I need your help," Dick persisted.

Beast Boy fought back a roar as well as the impulse to stand his ground against Nightwing's alpha male concept. "Yeah? And how's that been working out for you? This has clearly been going on for a while, and you haven't so much as made a dent!" He huffed, jabbing a finger into Richard's hard chest.

The Titans' leader remained impassive.

Garfield, realizing he wouldn't win this one, sighed in frustration. " _Fine_. We'll do it your way for now. If this turns around and bites us all in the ass, you best know I'm holding you accountable!" He threatened him.

Richard put his hands up in surrender. "That's perfectly fair. I don't think I'd forgive myself either, not if it means losing a teammate."

Garfield muttered something incomprehensible under his breath and then took his leave of the once boy wonder.

The hallway reeked, and for the remainder of the night, Beast Boy plugged the bottom of his door with old clothes and towels to keep the retched smell at bay.

His dreams consisted of mindless green monsters and a forest ablaze. All the while, eyes like ice followed his every move through the burning woods he raced through...

* * *

 **A/N:** _It took a while, I know, but hey, at least it's a nice, long, healthy update. Thanks for reading!_


	3. Lesson of Trying

**A/N:** _I really am sorry for such a delay. Other projects and prompts and real life, they get in the way. A huge thank you to everyone following, reading, favouriting and reviewing. I know I haven't had the time to reply, but every single comment means a lot, and I'll get back to responding after this update!_

* * *

 **Hellfire**

* * *

 _3\. Lesson of Trying_

His sheets smelled like her.

Why in the hell did his sheets smell like her?

Beast Boy groaned audibly, muffling the sound into the plush confines of his fluffy pillow so that no one heard him suffering.

He should have been overjoyed, finally getting to sleep on his own bed again, in his own blankets. He had anticipated many nights of peaceful slumber once he'd returned home, and yet, what he got instead was equivocal to that of enduring hell itself.

Garfield should have been all too familiar with _that_ discomfort, considering how many sleepless, uneasy nights he'd spent out in the wild. Never could he have anticipated undergoing anything worse than such a bone-weary restlessness that knew no cure. If it wasn't the unpredictable weather, it would have been the surplus of predators on the prowl, always looking to make a meal out of him no matter what shape he took.

Beast Boy had thought that he was finally out of the woods, literally and figuratively.

Until, of course, his head hit his pillow and his senses were immediately assaulted by the intoxicating, divine aroma of _Raven_.

Her scent shouldn't have been so prevalent, not after all this time, and yet, thanks to Beast Boy's now sharpened senses, it lingered. The stench of her perfumed shampoo, mingling with the smoke of the incense she often burned, and the grass-like odor of her herbal teas was as pungent as if he'd nuzzled his nose against her scalp.

Raven had been sleeping in his bed during his time away.

He'd known it as soon as he'd walked into his room on his first night back. Of course, her scent often mingled with Starfire's more sweet, flowery fragrance, but when it came to the fabric of his bed things, they acted like a sponge for Raven's aura. It practically clung to every fibre.

He couldn't bring himself to understand the meaning behind such an action, he didn't even want to try. It gave him a headache.

All he knew was that he couldn't sleep.

Beast Boy threw his sheets off him, annoyed, and swung his legs over the edge of his bed, rubbing at his tired, aching eyes before they adjusted to the darkness of his room.

It seemed that a night of undisturbed peace would have to wait.

He sighed heavily and clambered out of bed, unsteady at first as he got used to his human legs again.

Maybe a glass of warm soy milk would help soothe his addled mind.

Titan Tower was deadly quiet.

Everyone was presumably knocked out for the night, and if Beast Boy listened carefully, he'd probably hear his teammates' soft snores.

He stalked to the kitchen in a dream-like sway, still groggy and dishevelled from all the tossing and turning he'd done all night.

For a moment, he'd briefly entertained the notion that he'd been sleepwalking, or maybe even dreaming. Was his ever-elusive night of rest more than just a figment of his imagination? Surely it had to have been. How else could he explain the sudden return of the scent that had plagued him all this time?

It infiltrated his nostrils, and the closer to the kitchen he moved, the stronger it grew.

Beast Boy shook his head, rubbing any remainder of sleep from his eyes before Raven's blurred out silhouette came into focus again before him.

She was like a pale blue smudge in the darkness of the night, and she seemed to be just as startled by his presence as he was of hers.

They paused, and stared at one another, the seconds feeling like the weight of a thousand years between them.

The question was obvious, what they were both thinking.

Eventually, one of them would have to ask it. One of them would have to break the stalemate.

Garfield shifted on his feet, and Raven cleared her throat. Both of them looked away.

"After party in the kitchen?" He quipped, trying to make light of the otherwise tense situation.

He still wanted that soy milk, even if Raven happened to be standing in the way of the fridge.

She scoffed. "An after party two nights _after_ the party? Need I point out everything wrong with what you just insinuated?" Raven folded her arms over her chest, and it was anyone's guess if she was simply unimpressed, or embarrassed by her low-cut sleepwear.

Beast Boy replied with a long yawn and a wide stretch of his arms. He had padded on over to where she was standing by the sink, and still very much in his way.

He mustered up a lazy smile, his eyes shining in the faint moonlight that filtered through the expansive windows of the tower. "Alright, so do you just sulk in the kitchen at three in the morning every day, or did I just miss some kind of memo?"

She scowled up at him, and it only made him smile wider. He'd missed teasing the empath.

"I was _not_ sulking," she began to explain with an irritated huff. "I was…thirsty, and wanted a glass of water. Is that a crime?"

"No, but blocking the fridge ought to be," he answered coyly, implicating the appliance directly behind Raven with his eyes.

She followed his gaze and, upon realizing why the changeling had gotten so close to her, immediately moved out of his way, her face only slightly flushed. "You could have said something sooner," she mumbled under her breath.

Beast Boy opened the fridge and extracted the carton of chocolate flavoured soy milk from within. Nothing like sugar and calories to help bring on the sleep.

He could feel Raven watching him as he poured himself a glass. Beast Boy temporarily considered asking her about why she chose to linger, especially since there was no glass of water to be found, but he thought better of it. Bringing up her presence would only scare her away, and that was just about the last thing he wanted to do. No matter how tempting the question was.

"I take it you couldn't sleep, either," he noted once he'd put his heat friendly cup into the microwave.

The light from the small, metal box that filtered through the mesh patterns on the glass seemingly lit up the room and cast long shadows on his face. It hummed gently in the background.

Raven didn't say anything; an answer in and of itself.

When he suffered her a shy glance, he couldn't help but catch the way the tiny, ruby coloured gem in the centre of her forehead glittered in the light.

Beast Boy had always hated uncomfortable silences. Talking when he knew he shouldn't have was a habit he had a hard time letting go of. Still, it was better than the alternative; suffering in a choking silence.

"I don't think I'm used to a bed yet. I spent so many nights either on cold, hard ground, buried beneath blankets of snow, tucked into abandoned caves, mountain nooks and crannies, under rocks, and atop trees, it's almost as if my body doesn't know how to handle an actual mattress." Beast Boy chuckled nervously.

In the light, the usually dark rings of his irises were a stark, bright green.

Like hell he could admit to the _real_ reason.

Raven pouted, surveying him from beneath heavy lids. "That sounds horrible," she commented dryly.

"It was," he conceded with half a smirk.

The microwave beeped three times and then the light inside went out, casting the both of them in darkness again.

"Eventually, I'd just stay up and watch the stars. It might sound cheesy, but out there, away from all the city life, it really is a sight," he added, sounding oddly nostalgic.

"If you're trying to convince me to go camping, it won't work," Raven forewarned, but not without a ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

Beast Boy had to laugh at that. He shook his head and popped open the microwave door to fetch his warm beverage. He took a few long gulps before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "You should try new things, Rae. Even the stuff that scares you at first. You never know, you might like it," he told her with a genuine smile.

Raven struggled not to roll her eyes in mockery. "Coming from you, that's fresh. When have _you_ ever done that?"

Beast Boy threw up his hands defensively. "Alright, alright, fair point. But that doesn't mean I'm not willing to try from here on out."

Raven quirked up a single, inky black brow in question. "Are you going to finally give Othello a read, then?"

The green boy blanched. "Baby steps, Raven. Shakespeare is _not_ baby steps," Garfield argued.

There was a hint of arrogant amusement in her eyes. "See? Sometimes, certain interests simply don't mesh with certain individuals. Take for example, my love of reading and my judgement of your character suggests that you would actually _enjoy_ the tale of Othello. However, that doesn't just suddenly make you invested in a hobby that you've never been keen on to begin with. Just like camping doesn't appeal to me, no matter how pretty and poetic you make the stars sound."

Raven's fists uncurled, and her long fingers held the cold, pale skin of her bare arms in a hug instead. Amazing how such a simple action could alter her demeanour entirely. Instead of icy and standoffish, she now appeared vulnerable and defensive, like a wounded animal. "Face it, Beast Boy; you and I, we're too different. Like oil and water…We always have been…"

Raven's eyes were downcast as she said this, and there was an inflection of disbelief even in her own words.

Beast Boy sighed deeply, and leaned his back against the kitchen counter, carefully studying the remaining liquid in the glass cup he held in his hands. He knew he had to choose his words carefully.

"A few years ago, and I'd have agreed with you," he admitted quietly, crestfallen, and all the while avoiding her eyes. "We're different. You like books and I like videogames. You like classical music, maybe some alternative, and I prefer upbeat songs I can dance to. I read comics and you meditate. You like being alone, and I like being around people. Naturally, we clashed…a lot. Different…even opposites, maybe?"

He had her attention now, undivided.

Raven was watching him with wide eyes, her lips slightly parted as she tried to anticipate what was to come. Except, she had no idea what to expect, and was thus ill-prepared, and maybe a little apprehensive.

He turned the glass around in his hands, like an anxious twitch. Not once did he look up.

"Only, things aren't that simple. Hobbies, interests, music taste. It might matter to a preteen. It may even be the defining factor. But that's not what relationships are built on. Throughout the years we spent together, there were times, the best of times, when we found common ground, Rae. You and I…we're not as different as you might think, and before you call me crazy, hear me out?"

He looked to her for approval, and there was an emotion shining in his eyes that even she could not quite place. Her silence, yet again, begat her permission.

Beast Boy took in a shaky breath before he ventured further. "When I was all alone, trying to figure things out about my body, my abilities that I couldn't understand, I thought about _you_ , Raven."

He certainly couldn't look at her then, and she couldn't have been more grateful because she was fairly certain her face was aflame.

"I thought about how strong and brave you always were, even in the face of evil. Like me, you've got a dark part that you don't understand, that scares you, that's crazy strong and might make you do terrible, awful things some day. Except, every day, I watch you overcome it. Every day, you defy everything your father wanted you to be; your very genetic coding. To be honest…I came to admire that sort of resilience. I kind of wanted to copy you, and I used it as motivation."

A beat.

The heat could have choked the empath.

"Then there's the fact that, at the root of it all, we're both scared of being alone. Truly alone, because we both feel like our differences set us apart from others. Me? I do my best to fit in, and sometimes, I even lie to myself. If I didn't make those jokes all the time, I'd probably drive myself into some kind of depression."

Beast Boy slammed the glass down on the counter next to him, as if his last words had been a struggle to realize. Still, he pressed on, despite his shaken confidence. "What I'm trying to say is, I _understand_. I might not always show it, but I do. I know what it's like having your heart broken by someone you trusted, and I know what it's like not being able to look in the mirror some days. We might handle things differently, but we _both_ experience them. The difference is, you push people away, and I pretend that I'm okay, so no one has to worry. The end result is always the same, though."

Raven's breath seemed to be caught in her throat.

It was tremendous, hearing him admit to what she'd only ever suspected.

When Beast Boy's heated, verdant gaze locked with hers, there was an intensity in them that made her skin prickle with goosebumps.

"But I think I can learn from you, Rae. I _want_ to learn from you, and no matter our differences, you can _always_ count on me," he said earnestly. "Forget music and books; you're one of my best friends, and there isn't a hellish dimension I wouldn't cross over if you asked me to…"

He was searching the planes of her face in the darkness, like he was capable of seeing something that wasn't visibly there.

Raven had to take a step back.

A muscle in his jaw twitched, and his gaze shifted to the floor. "I just…I wanted you to know that."

The quiet that followed was deafening.

Raven was speechless. Words escaped her, for nothing she could think of could be an adequate response to such a raw confession.

All those years she'd spent keeping him at arm's length, complaining about how much of a nuisance he was to her, and yet…in his own way, he'd understood her.

Immediately, she was consumed with gnawing guilt.

"Gar…," she called to him, taking on the affectionate nickname he often preferred to his full birth name.

When his eyes met hers, she spared him a genuine smile. A rarity, and a world wonder, if there ever was one; Raven could light up a room with that smile. Her pale fingers then found his hand in a shocking display of nervous affection. He studied the stark contrasts between them, unmoving.

Then, slowly, she brought his hand up towards her face, where his fingers lightly grazed the supple, soft flesh of her right cheek. Her eyes fell closed when she slowly nuzzled against his gentle touch. "I really… _did_ miss you...," she confessed softly, her voice uncharacteristically laced with emotion.

It was Beast Boy's turn to blush now, the tips of his ears hot and burning. Her skin was warm where he touched her, and there was something strangely intimate about the action that left Beast Boy feeling like he'd changed from green to red. He could hear his thunderous heartbeat in his ears, louder than everything else.

The moment felt like it had lasted minutes rather than seconds, and all Beast Boy could do was stand helplessly still and observe the way such a bewitching creature pressed her cheek against the warmth of his palm, cradling his hand with her own.

"R-Raven…" he stuttered breathily, feeling rather tongue tied.

But the empath looked utterly content lingering beneath the soft, fading callouses of his hand. Some of his fingers tangled in the silken obsidian strands of her hair.

No matter how embarrassed he was, Beast Boy didn't want the moment to pass, not when he'd been witness to her peaceful expression and tender smile.

Because of him. Because of him!

Something like butterflies fluttered in his stomach.

He'd finally done it; he'd made her smile.

Neither of them knew how long they stood there like that, but needless to say, the moment felt robbed of them the second the blaring Titan alarm went off throughout the otherwise quiet Tower.

Like magnets, the changeling and the empath had been drawn to one another, and like repelling magnets, they quickly fell away as well…

* * *

 **A/N:** _Shorter chapters, quicker updates? Also, my synopsis for this chapter went way over the limit and, had I stuck to my guns, it would have been stupidly long and therefore, not posted for a while yet. I'm going to try writing up smaller chapters to help me stagger updates more evenly. Less writing means less editing means more updates! Hopefully…we'll see if I don't muck it up. Thanks for reading (I know this was more filler, and trying to highlight the relationship between these two, but it's important, I swear). Feedback, as usual, is appreciated and welcomed. I'll reply to reviews as they come in. :)_


	4. Lesson of Anguish

**A/N:** _Updates YAY. Once again, I'm overwhelmed by the amount of feedback for this, so thank you. I wouldn't be half as inspired if it weren't for all your kind words and encouragement._

* * *

 **Hellfire**

* * *

 _4\. Lesson of Anguish_

What did hell look like?

What did it _smell_ like?

These were questions that, sadly, all the Titans were familiar with.

Fire and blood.

Always fire and blood – often choking with the stench of burning, rotting, human flesh. The Titans had seen enough in their line of work to know that those two themes were always of a consistent nature. Hand in hand, like lovers born of the ugliest sin.

Raven faltered – the only Titan to hesitate at the scene of the crime. The others, they'd thrown themselves into the thick of it, determination like well-tempered fury guiding the strength behind their movements. When they took running steps forward, she took a step back, lingering in their shadows. Her eyes, violet stone, reflected the fiery red carnage of the dreadful scene before her.

Unlike so many times before, the team hadn't merely walked into a bank robbery, or an escaped, super-powered convict, like they were typically accustomed to these days.

No.

They'd left the tower in response to the sudden emergency, and come face to face with a new variation of hell.

Raven hung back, rooted to the spot as the demonic monstrosities scurried before her in a blur of red, engaging her friends in a bloody fight. Garfield tore them limb from limb, slashing with his sharp claws in the form of an enraged Grizzly. Nightwing's blows were more lethal, evidently not caring to hold back against the vile creatures that were overrunning their city. Even Cyborg and Starfire were set to kill.

Not human meant more casualties. Demon spawn like these were beyond negotiation, so primal in their quest, that death was inevitable – it was the only way to stop them.

Kill or be killed.

Her teammates understood that well by now, having encountered a similar army when up against Trigon.

Raven, on the other hand, could not.

"No…" Her fingers trembled visibly, her bottom lip quivering.

Gore lay at their feet, coating the streets beneath piles of lifeless human bodies. The putrid stench of charred human flesh, mingling with death and other bodily fluids pervaded the air in thick, nauseating waves. The sky, once a clear midnight blue, seemed to glow a sinister red and orange, as if to mirror the destruction below. Even the crescent moon, known for its serene presence, appeared in the shape of a bloody sickle, dangerous and foreboding. Screams of anguish and desperate pleas rang out as background noise to the fanning flames and breaking glass.

"Raven?" It was Richard who called out to her first, breaking through her psyche with his caring voice.

Raven's gaze flickered in her leader's direction for a moment, meeting with the white mesh that obscured his blue eyes. "Are you all right?" he queried, taking a few steps in her direction.

His hair was matted with sweat, and his taut, black suit shone, as if slick with moisture. Yet, before he could investigate further, one of the fowl, winged beasts swooped down and tackled him to the ground with its massive claws. Raven gasped as she saw him get dragged down the street, grimacing all the while he tried to beat the monster off him. The creature let out an ear-piercing screech that echoed through the night, flapping its torn-up wings in desperation to flee from the barrage of attacks. However, its talons were imbedded deep into Richard's shoulders, hooking and cutting through the material of his suit, leaving a bloody hole where his skin was penetrated. Still, he fought, even though every motion was agonizing torture.

Despite his best efforts, Nightwing couldn't finish the monster off, even as it howled, opening its maw to reveal two rows of short, jagged teeth. They gleamed in the light of the fire, like small, bloodied daggers.

Suddenly, there was a new sound – less of a shriek and more of a bird cry. It cracked the night sky like thunder, and when Raven looked overhead, she found a majestic green bird nose-diving down towards where Richard and the beast continued to struggle. As it gained momentum, a look of fierce determination in its beady eyes while it surveyed its target, the hell creature tugged once more in a futile attempt to dodge, but its talons were still firmly wedged in the gore of Nightwing's shoulder. Richard cried out in pain, writhing on the floor when it tried to pull away.

Beast Boy was upon it, his feathers catching the light of the crescent moon as he took the monster off his leader in one fell swoop. Once relieved from its clutches, Nightwing's wound gushed warm, crimson fluid and it was all the motivation Raven needed to finally make her move. She dashed to his side in a flurry of her cloak, falling onto her knees next to him while analyzing the extent of the damage. Richard, now free from his antagonist, breathed heavily, his skin clammy and pale. He gazed upon Raven with half-lidded eyes like she was a guardian angel arrived to save him.

In a sense, she was.

Her shaking hands hovered over the gruesome wound, realizing the urgency in closing it before he lost too much blood. It spilled down his chest and pooled about her knees, warm and sticky.

" _Azarath metrion zinthos_!" Raven's eyes glowed an unnatural white, the same energy cascading from the palms of her hands as they glided over Nightwing's injury.

The skin mended itself, slowly, growing at a rate much faster than what was humanly possible.

Behind her somewhere, she could hear Beast Boy roar in the form of an angered lion, menacing as he shook the very ground with his ferocity. The demon's shrill scream faded and she could have sworn she could hear the rip and tear of Garfield's sharp teeth sinking into its throat.

"Thanks," Richard coughed meekly, mustering a small, grateful smile at the empath as he tried to sit up.

Raven frowned, her brows furrowed. "Don't thank me yet. We need to get out of here. _Now_."

Starfire's bright green starbolts illuminated the sky around them as she swooped down to the ground with a cement-breaking thud, eyes aglow and her expression one of a warrior relishing in the throes of battle. She shot at one of the monstrosities nearby with her eyes, burning it down in emerald flames. The pavement crunched where she'd landed, her super strength unchecked as she rushed to Nightwing's side in earnest. Almost immediately, her eyes softened when she found her lover beaten and bruised.

"Are you okay?" she asked, stooping down to help him up to his feet. He leaned on her without shame or abandon, and she gingerly brushed a lock of obsidian hair from his face. "That foul creature has injured you." She glanced at the purpling wound where Raven had sealed his skin over, heated anger rekindling in her luminescent eyes.

"I've been dealt worse," he grinned, but it shortly turned into a grimace, and he clutched at the sore spot.

"Take it easy! You can still reopen it," Raven coaxed.

In the meantime, both Cyborg and Beast Boy had done their best to keep the monsters at bay while Raven tended to Dick's wounds, but they were closing in now, their numbers having somehow multiplied. No matter how many they killed, more replaced them in never-ending waves.

"I'm runnin' low on juice here! Anyone got a plan yet?" Cyborg cried out, blasting three more with his cannon.

Starfire and Nightwing exchanged nervous looks.

"We run." It was Raven that had piped up. She summoned a portal, dark energy reflecting a mirage of the city streets before them. The vision wavered, like a gateway to an Elseworld.

Beast Boy joined them, snapping canines at the creatures that circled them, spittle and blood staining his curled back lips.

"We can't just run! People are dying!" Victor protested, the pile of dead human bodies somehow standing out in the background.

Lifeless eyes stared endlessly at the sky, bloody entrails staining the streets in a sea of bubbling crimson. Raven felt bile burn the back of her throat, her eyes stinging from both the smoke and the stench of spilled digestive fluids. "Hurry," she urged, "more will come, and they'll keep coming. There isn't anything we can do for them if we die here."

Beast Boy had morphed back into his human form, his eyes glaring angrily at the winged demons encroaching upon them like a pack of ravished wolves. "Is it just me or are they smiling at us?"

Starfire helped Richard in through the portal first as Raven ushered them along, keeping a mindful eye at the distance between them and the demon army that continued to grow in size and number.

Victor didn't appear too happy with the notion of abandoning innocent people to save his own hide, but he eventually made his way to the portal as well. "We best have a plan and soon," he urged the empath sternly.

Beast Boy snarled as one creature tested its boundaries near them. He slashed with his arm, a green blur, but both Raven and Cyborg could have sworn they'd seen claws despite his human appearance. They stared at the dark blood dripping down his fingers, slack-jawed and uncertain.

"New trick?" Cyborg asked, his brow raised.

Garfield grinned sinisterly, his fangs visible. "I learned a lot out there on my own."

"We can't afford to dawdle here! Let's go!" Raven exclaimed in reminder, her eyes darting nervously back and forth between her friends and the demon horde.

Victor went next, the dark, swirling magic devouring him until nothing was left. Raven glanced at Beast Boy and he nodded once before following the cybernetic man. When he stepped through, the sounds and smells changed almost immediately into a more dull, distant sense. A whiff of extinguished candlelight, a nipping chill away from the fire, and an odd tranquility settled around the team. Raven had teleported them all to the safety of a church.

Beast Boy found Kory still tending to Nightwing in one of the pews, while Victor was aiming his cannon at the winged shadows that occasionally flew past the stained-glass windows, paranoid.

The house of worship was cast in a dark blue light, only illuminated by the blazing fires just outside the heavy, decorative doors. The place was completely deserted, the occupants most likely having fled, hidden, or suffered a worse fate. It seemed Starfire had the notion to block the entrance with a few wooden pews she'd ripped off the ground.

"Think we'll be paying for the damage?" Garfield joked, but his expression remained solemn.

Raven appeared last through the portal, and the black energy of her powers dissipated after she'd stepped through. She looked to be out of breath, her eyes darting maddeningly about, as if the monsters had somehow given chase.

"I have to ask; why a church?" Victor spoke, still brandishing his weaponized arm and aiming at the shadowed monsters lurking just outside the cathedral.

"I'm just taking a wild stab in the dark here, but I presume it's got something to do with demons not liking religion? Satan and God never did jive well, did they?" Dick wheezed, trying to muster up a façade of strength despite his internal injuries.

Raven did not appear amused. Instead, she looked as terrified as she had on the day Slade had marked her for Trigon, her face pale and gaunt, as if she'd seen too much in her young life.

"They won't stop coming," she fretted, turning her back to her teammates to glance uncertainly at the main doors. "It's only a matter of time…"

"Friend Raven," Starfire called out. "Please, help us understand what is happening so that we may fight it!"

Raven shook her head resolutely, eyes downcast. "You can't."

Feeling the frustration building among his teammates, Garfield intervened before the tension could escalate. "Okay, so how about we talk about what we _can_ do instead?"

Raven's eyes flashed then, as if he'd somehow given her an idea. "Gideon…," she whispered to herself. "He'll know what to do. He'll know what it is they want!"

"What does he have to do with all of this, Raven?" Richard had stood on his feet, stumbling into Starfire, who readily steadied him. He clutched at his wounds, but the seriousness of his tone was not lost on the empath.

"That probably isn't relevant right now. We need to find him. He can help us sort all of this out, stop all the death!" she pleaded.

"Like hell it isn't relevant!" Victor snapped, his voice carrying into an echo. "People are dying out there, Raven! Innocent people! Every second we waste in here, more are killed! If Gideon has anything to do with this, I'm sending his ass straight to Trigon himself!"

Guilt marred the empath's features, and she raised her hood over her head, as if to hide away the shame and embarrassment she felt at her friend's verbal lashing.

"Arguing right now solves nothing," Richard stated calmly.

Starfire nodded in agreement. Probing gently, she said, "Raven, tell us where we may find your friend."

"I can do you one better," the empath started, her eyes glowing with power even as she spoke. "I'll take you to him."

Beast Boy fixed the sorceress with a concerned stare. "All this teleporting is going to wear you out, Rae."

But she was already enveloping her team in the wisps of her black magic, the feathers of the raven her powers often manifested into grew around them like a heavy mist.

The apartment complex she'd brought them to was uncharacteristically empty and cold. The lights were off, and everything was eerily quiet – untouched. Almost as if it had barely been lived in at all. Raven swayed when she walked, her legs wobbling from the effort it took to remain upright. She had to steady herself against the head of the couch in his living room. "Gideon… _please_ ," she called out, but her voice was a croaking remnant of what it used to be.

"Let's just skip right past the part where I ask exactly why you seem to have a fast travel option for this creep's apartment, and move on to what he has to do with Jump City currently being overrun by evil demon spawn," Beast Boy growled, the hairs on his arms and legs standing on end in response to Gideon's familiar stench, now in overwhelming abundance.

"Garfield's right – enough dillydallying, Raven. Tell us what's going on," Richard assented.

"We have been most patient, but this Gideon is not here," Starfire added.

Raven shook her head, obviously growing frustrated with both her friends and the situation. "You don't understand – he can _help_ us!"

"Somehow, I doubt that," Cyborg replied icily.

Raven's indifference changed to outrage. "I should have known. None of you trust me. You never have."

"That's a lie!" Beast Boy barked back, angered by the accusation.

Raven turned her scorn at Garfield, her eyes glassy. "You of all people can't talk, Gar! You _left_! You just… _left_!"

She threw her arms up, as if all hope had been lost. The changeling staggered, taken aback by the unexpected hurt etched into her features; nearly identical to when Malchior had betrayed her so long ago. The raw emotion displayed by the empath – both uncharacteristic and sudden – left Garfield speechless, his mouth opening and closing without a sound.

Nonetheless, Raven steeled herself, like she always did when she was hurting in front of others. "I did what I had to do to get by – what I _needed_ to do when everyone else had moved on. For myself. Gideon…he was there for me. He was there when no one else was. The least I can do is grant him a chance to explain this!"

" _Moved on_?" Richard asked, his tone gaining a sharp edge.

But Raven was already backing away, shaking her head. "I can do this without you. I'll handle this one on my own." Then, looking away, she added in a smaller voice, "After all, it wouldn't be the first time…"

Beast Boy hesitated, still shaken by the knowledge that he'd hurt her in such a way – that he hadn't been there for her when she needed a friend the most. Garfield's shoulders sagged, and his gaze dropped to the ground, a feeling of failure overcoming his usual good cheer. He felt rotten to the core, and he stood there, helpless, even as Raven whipped up her cloak and partly vanished into a portal she'd opened.

"Raven!" Nightwing called after her, half a second too late. "Wait, please!"

She'd given her friends one last forlorn look – haunted and sad but fleeting in the typical fashion of the empath. Her eyes lingered a moment too long on the green shapeshifter's bowed head – on the crown of his emerald hair. Beast Boy didn't look up, not even when he felt the heat from her amethyst stare.

"I'm sorry..." For what, would forever be a mystery to the green shapeshifter.

He heard the portal close; heard the way the disappointment tainted her tone – like leaving them was the very last thing she wanted to do. But by the time he found the courage he needed to look up at her again, she was already gone, the room missing her aura and her distinguished scent already.

"Gar, you have to know none of this is your fault," Victor offered sympathetically shortly after, his robotic digits squeezing the changeling's shoulder in comfort.

Somewhere behind them, Nightwing sighed, plopping down into the couch, obviously thinking about their next move.

"Everything's changed…," Beast Boy admonished, his voice trailing softly. "I never should have left." He shook his head, angry with himself and far too afraid to admit to the tears burning behind his eyes.

"We should focus on the task we have been given," Starfire urged, glancing at their distressed leader for answers.

Richard cradled his head in his hands, letting out a long, shaky sigh.

"Raven gave us a clue," Cyborg stated then. "We now know that Gideon's got a part to play in all this, as suspected."

Starfire nodded, her fingers brushing the torn part of Nightwing's uniform tenderly. "And if we need further evidence on how to find him, she has brought us to the best place to look." There was a slight smirk tugging on the alien beauty's lips.

" _Who cares_ about evidence?" Beast Boy roared. "We need to go find Raven!"

His outburst was unexpected, and left most of the team faltering. Nightwing stood up, demanding all the attention in the room with one swift movement. He observed Beast Boy from behind the mesh of his mask. "Raven is our top priority," he agreed simply.

Garfield had been prepared to fight – to argue on the point – but didn't know how to handle his leader when, for once, he was on the same page. Dick turned to the other two Titans then. "Cyborg, you and Beast Boy continue to search the apartment for clues. We'll need them if we are going to convince Raven of Gideon's treachery. Starfire and I will go after Raven." He pulled out his communicator and flipped it open. An image of Jump City's map flickered on the screen and, after the push of a button, a red dot began flashing, moving quickly along the white lines.

"No," Beast Boy interrupted suddenly. With barely contained rage and an unflinching stare, he informed Nightwing, " _I'm_ going after Raven. Part of this is my fault. It's _my_ responsibility to help make things right this time."

The room grew silent with newly budding tension, all the while both shape-shifter and boy wonder remained unwavering in their stare-off. Their teammates watched with interest, sensing the uncomfortable stalemate that had been reached. Seconds that transpired felt like minutes, and with Dick's mouth in a tight line, it was difficult to say who would budge first.

"Fine," Nightwing relented at last.

Starfire let out the breath she'd been holding, and Cyborg pretended to fiddle with a bit of equipment on his arm.

Garfield had been poised for an argument – even a terse lecture – before any sort of actual concession from their somewhat hard-headed leader. It left him feeling a bit like a fool when he was met with zero resistance, even though he'd somehow managed to get his way in the end. "Well – uh, good," he floundered, losing most of the fiery edge he'd garnered prior.

"We'll be in touch if we find anything," Cyborg said.

Starfire, appearing concerned with the decision to be left behind, added, "Please, do not hesitate to call us if there is any trouble. Gideon has…not left me with a good feeling." The alien princess shuddered, hugging her bare arms as if a cold chill had prickled against her delicate skin. "I'd hate to think on what sort of things he will do to Raven, should we be correct about the nature of his character…"

Beast Boy supressed a growl, his brows knitting together in determination. He was doing his best trying to forget about the kiss Raven had shared with Gideon outside her room, as the mere memory made his stomach turn for a wide variety of reasons.

Richard nodded curtly at Kory, with Garfield shifting into a pterodactyl after running out to the balcony. As he jumped over the ledge with a loud screech, Nightwing followed suit, landing onto his friend's strong, green back in the form of the extinct creature. They glided through the night sky, illuminated by the fire burning below in their city, with Dick guiding them in the direction of the red flashing dot.

Beast Boy could practically feel the other Titan's imminent rage and stress at the helplessness of the predicament they were in. He knew it all too well because he was experiencing the same internal conflict.

People were still screaming for their lives just down below, and it was only more worrisome when it faded out into a terrifying, unnatural silence. This only spurred the changeling to move faster, desperate to locate both Raven and Gideon before they had to lose anyone else to the foul beings.

One thing at a time.

Raven.

They had to get to Raven first. Finding her meant finding Gideon, and figuring out his relation to the monsters could potentially put a stop to their spawning rate.

Beast Boy couldn't even look down anymore – couldn't stand the way the smoke stung his eyes, or the way the stench of blood and death filled his nostrils. It was nauseating and made him break out into a cold sweat – as if it infected him like a disease seeping into the marrow of his very bones. He hated how they couldn't stop and save them – hated himself and blamed himself for most of it. If only he hadn't left…would things have been different between him and the empath?

Could this whole thing have been avoided?

Ironic, he thought, how hell was just beneath them as the two Titans soared in the heavens at a safe distance above, consumed with their own personal grievances. Was this how angels felt when they wept for all those who suffered in the fanning flames of death?

"She's by the pier, near some warehouses," Dick shouted, drawing Garfield out of his own detrimental thoughts, and pointing out towards the glimmering body of water in the distance. So different was the atmosphere of the scene that for a moment, it was as if they'd entered an entirely new dimension itself. The rippling waters, a deep, dark blue, mirrored the calm, starry sky and floating clouds of the peaceful night. Like this end of the world was somehow oblivious and untouched by the horrors being committed in the heart of the city, only a few kilometers away.

Beast Boy accelerated down towards it, the wind cutting against his wings and ruffling Nightwing's hair as he clung to the spiralling changeling.

"What's with bad guys and warehouses anyways?" Garfield asked the older man once they'd safely landed and he'd morphed back into his human shape. "Like, how much sketchier can you be if you're operating from an abandoned warehouse?"

Richard ignored his prattling and focused on the tracker, but Garfield was nervous and anxious, so he continued. "That's like having a giant arrow pointing at you saying, _evil dude, beware_."

Nightwing was staring at the flashing dot on the communicator in his hands, and then squinted off into the distance, but the pier appeared to be void of any life. "It's too quiet, isn't it?" he noted gruffly.

Beast Boy strained his ears, but all he caught was the whistling of the wind, the crashing of the waves, and the distant squeals of the monsters currently overrunning the city. "Should it not be?" He shrugged.

Nightwing sneered. "Why aren't there any demons here?"

"Uh. Maybe they don't like water?"

"Be serious, Gar," Dick chastised him.

The changeling sighed, his shoulders tense and his posture stiff. "Where's Rae?" he asked, a muscle in his jaw twitching with unspoken agitation.

Richard closed the communicator. "She's supposedly somewhere here. The tracker says she is, unless she dropped her comm."

They both looked out apprehensively at the vast waters that surrounded them. "You don't think...?" Garfield trailed off, biting the inside of his cheek.

That's when he caught it, undeniable and as familiar as the day he'd met the frigid demoness – _her scent_.

Incense, lavender, with earthy undertones like smoked oak.

It was faint, but it coloured the air in soft, swirling tendrils. Traces of it, left unmasked by the clear night sky where the reek of death and fire from the city hadn't quite reached yet. He sniffed as the wind picked up, carrying the mineral-laden stench of water with it. If he was careful, he could almost _taste_ her on the tip of his tongue.

A second sniff, and he had Dick's attention.

"What are you picking up?"

"It's her. She's here," he growled in response.

Garfield followed his nose, moving in the direction where her smell grew stronger, if only slightly. At first, he walked in circles, trying to discern it from everything else, but once he'd locked onto it, he picked up his pace. His walk turned into a jog, and then a sprint until he was racing down dark alleys and dodging dumpsters and bags of trash that littered the narrow pathways. Nightwing was hot on his heels, giving chase and only lagging a few feet behind.

They bobbed and weaved around the deserted area like a maze, only pausing if Beast Boy needed to relocate Raven's scent again, typically at a forked path.

When they found her, it was sudden and unexpected.

Things happened quickly there after.

Demon spawn littered the tight alleyway they'd just turned into, turning their unsettling, glowing four eyes to the newest intruders.

In the distance was Raven, unconscious and slung over the red, beastly shoulder of one of the creatures. Blood oozed from where her chakra would be situated in the centre of her forehead. It dribbled onto the pavement in dark, angry red drops.

 _Drip._

 _Drip._

 _Drip._

Nightwing acted with the reflexes of a trained acrobat, not stopping in his pursuit of the violet-haired Titan. He attacked the demons in his way, dispatching two of them with his Escrima sticks before any of the others could relay a new battle cry and meet him head-on.

Beast Boy watched helplessly from afar as the demon carrying Raven quickly opened a portal in the cement floor beneath it– similar to what he'd seen the empath do many times prior – and vanish from within its reddened spiral.

Nightwing was overrun by enemies within seconds, and his jaw clenched with the effort it took from his worn-out body keeping up with the vile monsters that had all convened upon him. Garfield watched as a set of angry claws barely scratched at the black uniform his leader wore, tearing through the material like butter. Half a second more, and Dick would have been sliced through, much like before. Only this time, there was no Raven to help heal him, and a second critical wound would be nearly fatal at this point.

Beast Boy knew what he had to do. In fact, he didn't even pause to question it, nor to think over the possible consequences of such a rash decision.

His lips pulled back over his teeth to reveal a vicious snarl, his primal emotions setting every hair on his body on end. His eyes went from green to swirling amber, the bones beneath his newly scaled skin shifting, adjusting, cracking, and snapping.

He changed into a monstrous T-Rex and quickly bounded in the direction of the preoccupied demons, shaking the ground with every footfall. Beast Boy tackled into the gaggle of creatures with a fierce cry that could be heard from across the water, giving Richard more of a fighting chance. The changeling then mercilessly ripped into one of their throats when he had it pinned to the ground beneath his claws, tasting the warm, metallic poison of its gushing blood in his mouth. Its movements stilled rapidly, and Garfield was running again as fast as his new legs could carry him.

Somewhere behind him, he could hear Dick's desperate protests, but he tuned him out, only catching one word as he shifted back into his human form, and leapt into the angry red of the shrinking portal, right after Raven and the demon.

" _Stop!"_

* * *

 **A/N:** _Yeah, okay, I know. I'm a jerk for taking so long. I'm sorry. Life, excuses, but mostly I really struggled with this chapter and revamped it a LOT. Strange how even my most carefully planned stories can be a fight trying to write down. Apologies. I haven't abandoned this. Anyways, we're at the midway point here. Hope you enjoyed this because I really put some effort into getting everything right and making sure it was packed with action. Which is…not my strongest suit. Thanks for reading and staying loyal! You guys are awesome! :)_


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